Attachment for pipe-pulling machines



" May .22, 1923.

1,455,999 L. W. FETZER ATTACHMENT FOR PIPE PULLING MACHINES Filed March 13 1922 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. w, FETZER ATTACHMENT FOR PIPE PULLING MACHINES Filed March 1:5, 1922 s Sheets-She et 2 May 22', 1923. 1,455,999

L. W. FETZER ATTACBMENT FOR PIPE PULLING MACHINES Filled March 1;, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TPIVETIT UP; 95m w 7 W Patented May 22, 1923.

entree stares earenr eel-arcs;

LOUIS W. FETZER, F FINDLAY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRACTION MACHINE CO'MPANY, OF NORTH BALTIMORE, OHIQ, A. CQRPORATION OF OHIO.

ATTACHMENT FOR PIPEPULLING MACHINES.

Application filed March 13, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. FETZER, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Findlay in the county of Hancock and State of Ohio, have made an invention in an Attachment for Pipe-Pulling Machines: and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled 'in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to oil well apparatus of the type employed to pull pipes from wells and unscrew the sections thereof.

The object of my invention is the provision, in combination with a pipe pulllng machine of the class described, of an attachment therefor, or means in association therewith, which is operable to unscrew pipe or rod sections as they are successively pulled from a well. and is adjustable to suit the position of the well with respect to the machine. so that the ring member or gear of the attachment which is intended to encircle the pipe may be centered relative thereto without difficulty.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which,-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the pipe pulling machine with parts removed and with an attachment embodying the invention in operative connection therewith, the mast of the machine being in upright position and in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged. fragmentary end elevation of the machine with the attachment in operative relation thereto and with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the attachment with a wrench attached thereto and in operative unscrewing engagement with a pipe. Fig. 4; is a reduced bottom view of the ring gear of the apparatus, and Fig. 5 is a sectionof the ring gear on the line 55 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a pipe pulling machine at the front end of which is provided an upright frame or Seria1 No. 543,346.

standard 2 to which the crossbar 3 of a mast 4 is pivoted to adapt the mast to be swung into operative upright position at the front end of the machine or in inoperative reclining position over the top of the machine as is customary in machines of this character. The frame 1 is provided with a cross-shaft 5 with which a motor 6 has any suitable driving connection, the details of which are not important in the present invention and need not therefore be described. In the present instance a drum 7 for the pulling in cable of the machine is mounted in advance of the shaft 5 and has a large friction wheel 8 with which a smaller drive friction wheel 9 0n the shafto is adapted to have a peripheral driving engagement.

The attachment embodying the invention includes a bracket frame 10 having the spaced rigidly connected side bars 11. This frame is hingedly connected at its inner end for vertical swinging movements to the ends of a cross bar 12, which is rigidly secured to the lower end portion of the mast by a clamping means 13, thus adapting the frame 10 to be projected outward from the mast 4 at substantially a right angle thereto or to be swung upward and inward to substantially parallel relation thereto. The frame 10 is supported at its outer end in outwardly projected operative position with respect to the mast, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by adjustable members 14 extending from the upper end portions of the standards 2 to the respective side bars of the frame 10 adjacent to its outer end. The clamping means 13 permits a horizontal swinging adjustment of the frame 10 about the mast 4.

A hollow rectangular frame 15 is mounted on the outer end portion, of the bracket frame 10 for limited adjustment longitudinally thereof and for such purpose has cars 16 projecting downward from opposite sides thereof within the respective side bars of the bracket frame 1.0 and provided with bolts 17, which project through respective longitudinalslots 18 in the side bars 11. The frame 15 supports a ringgear 19, which is mounted flatwise thereon and is guided for rotary movements relative to the frame by a set of four peripherally grooved guide rollers EZO'arranged in equidistantly spaced relation around the gear and receiving an annular flange 21. The guide rollers are carried by pivot studs 22 projecting upward from the different corner portions of the frame 15. The ring gear 19 is intended to be concentrically positioned with respect to a pipe 23 being operated on and is provided on its top with one or more pairs of peripherally spaced lugs 2 f between which the handle of a pipe engaging wrench 25 may be disposed, whereby a turning of .the ring gear in a direction to impart a pipe gripping action to the wrench will effect a turning of the engaged pipe.

The frame 15 has an extension 26 at one side thereof projecting out beyond. the adj acent side of the bracket-frame l0, and journafled in this extension-is a shaft 27. which is radially disposed with respect to the ring gear 19 and has a bevel pinion 28 at its innerend below the ring gear in mesh with the bevel gear teeth on the under side thereof. The outer end of the shaft 27 is in connection. through a set of bevel gears 29 with a drive shaft 30 which is j ournaled in the outer end of the extension 26 at right angles to the shaft 27. lhe shaft section 30 has the universal connection at its rear end with a shaft section 31, which extends to and is in longitudinal adjustable connection with a shaft section 32 having universal connection with a shaft section 33, which latter is journaled in a bearing bracket 3 secured to the truck frame 1 at one end of the cross-shaft The latter shaft is in driving connection with the shaft section 33 through a .set of bevel gears 35. The shaft sections .81 and 32 are in feathered connec. tion to permit free relative longitudinal adjusting movements thereof without affecting their driving connection.

It is evident that with my attachment the frame 10 and associated parts may be freely swung about the mast 9 as an axis, and the frame 15, with its ring gear, adjust ed lengthwise of the bracket-frame 10 to suit the position of the pipe to be acted on and to center the ring gear with respect thereto, and also that such adjustments may be effected without changing the driving; connection between the cross-shaft 5 and ring gear. This universally adjustable fea ture of the ring gear is important as it is difficult to so actually position a pulling; machine with respect .to the pipe to be acted on that a ring-gear carried thereby would be in true concentric relation to the pipe. Another feature of the attachment is" that it is hingedly carried by the mast so that it may be folded against the mast in compact form when not in use .or when the mast is swung into inoperative position over the machine. It is evident that while I have particularly described the attachment as associated with a pipe pulling machine and intended to unscrew the successive pipe sections as a pipe is pulled, it may be emu ployed in connection with a pipe lowering .nachine to screw the pipesect'ions together.

1 wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement, or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is,

1. In combination, a support, a horizontally disposed bracket frame projecting from and carried bythc support, a second frame adjustably mounted on the bracket frame, an annular member mounted on and guided by. thev second frame for rotary movements, and means for imparting rotation to the annular member.

2. In combination, a support, av bracket frame carried by the support for horizontal adjustment relative thereto,a'second frame mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the bracket frame, an annulus mounted on and guided for rotary movements by the second frame and adapted to be connected to a member disposed centrally thereof to impart rotation from one to the other, and means operable to impartrotation to they annulus in any position of adjustment of the two frames relative to the support.

3. In combination, a support, a bracket frame carried by the support for horizontal and vertical pivotal movements relative thereto, an annulus mounted on the bracket frame for horizontal rotary movementsrelative thereto, means for connecting the an nulus and a memberdisposed therein to impart rotation. from one to the other thereof,

a power unit, and means for communicata, mp; power from the power unit to the annulus and adjustable to conform to any horizontal adj ustment of the bracket frame.

4-. In combination, a support, a bracket fran'ic carried by and projecting from the support for horizontal adjustment relative thereto. a second. frame adjusta-bly. carried by the bracket frame, an annulus mounted. on and guided for rotary movements by the second frame, means for imparting rotation from the annulus to a member disposed therein, a power unit, and means fo.r driv ing the annulus from the power. unit and freely adjustable to suit the adjusted position of the annulus. I

5. in an apparatus of the class described, a truck, a cross-shaft carried by the truck, means for driving the shaft, an upright member carried by the truck, a. bracket f .ame projecting from the upright member, a second frame adjustably mounted on the bracket frame, an annulus mounted on and guided for rotary movements by the second frame, means for connecting theannulusto an interposed object to impart rotation, from Cir one to the other, and means for imparting rotation from the cross-shaft to the annulus and having universally and longitudinally adjustable parts to adapt the driving connection for any position of adjustment of the annulus relative to the upright member.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a truck frame, a mast carried by the frame for reclining position thereover or vertical position at an end thereof, a cross shaft on the truck frame, means for driving said shaft, a bracket frame carried by the mast for horizontal and vertical swinging adjustment relative thereto, means for supporting the outer end of the bracket frame in horizontal position relative tothe mast, an an- LOUIS W. FETZER. 

